


And If I Die Today

by havocthecat



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Highlander
Genre: Character Death Fix, Gen, Pre-Immortal, Season/Series 01, Season/Series 05, Sunnydale, Sunnydale Slayers, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1997-01-01
Updated: 1997-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-05 03:06:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/401780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havocthecat/pseuds/havocthecat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Willow has an interesting future ahead of her. It's a good thing Richie's just opened up shop in Sunnydale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And If I Die Today

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in 1997 (when I decided that Giles was missing out by not signing Willow and Xander up for self-defense classes STAT) and posted to the Sunnydale Slayers email list, then [reposted to LJ](http://havocthecat.livejournal.com/359686.html?style=mine). I think I spent a few years saying "Richie Ryan didn't die; he ran off and opened a dojo in Sunnydale."

Willow walked into the dojo, looking around at the few people who were in there, all lifting weights or boxing. She sat down and waited for someone to come over to her. While she waited, she took in the decor. It was sparse, with nothing on the walls. There were window blinds, open to let in the late afternoon sun. The walls were a plain shade of off-white, and the floor tiles were black, making the room seem slightly like a chessboard square.

"Hi, can I help you?" asked a strawberry-blond young man.

"Hi. I was wondering if you taught classes. Like in self-defense?" Willow asked.

"Not really," he said. "I just opened. I haven't set up anything like that, and I don't know if I'm going to. I'm taking it slowly; just starting out as a place to lift some weights or something." He moved out of the doorway to the back room and started walking over to her. About halfway across the room he paused for a moment, just barely long enough to be noticeable, his eyes flicking around the room and taking in the people gathered there. One he reached her he sat down on the bench Willow was on, and she turned to face him. "There are probably other places in town, aren't there?"

"Uh-huh," Willow said, twisting her hands in her skirt. "See, I know people. Like, from school. At the other places. I get kinda nervous when I'm around them, and things don't work out too well."

"So you're not too experienced, huh?" he asked with a commiserating smile. "And you turn into a klutz when you get around anyone you know, right?"

"Yeah," Willow admitted, knowing her face showed every bit of her worry. "I just get really nervous about anything like sports." The man sighed and looked away, his face uncertain.

"Well, I know how you feel," he said. "I used to get like that. I think you just need the right teacher, really." He looked down for a minute, his expression at first sad and then determined. "I suppose I could always see if I'm the right teacher. Otherwise I might be able to find someone else."

"All right," she said, grinning. Some of her nervousness had evaporated around the man--he seemed pretty nice.

"Congratulations," he said, sticking out his hand. "You're my first student." His smile faded for a moment, but reappeared just before Willow shook his hand. "Richie Ryan."

"That's good to know," Willow said, chuckling. "After all, it helps if I know your name. I'm Willow Rosenberg."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Willow," Richie said, standing up. "Lemme just go back to my office and see if I can find something a bit more comfortable for you to wear, ok?"

"You want to start now?" Willow looked around nervously and relaxed when she realized she didn't know anyone in the room.  
"Is that a problem? I mean do you have something to do?"

"No, today is good," Willow said. "I already finished my homework. I just didn't expect to start so soon."

"No time like the present," Richie said. "Besides, it's not like you have forever to learn." He looked away, his expression hidden, and back at Willow, who was looking out the window to make sure that it was daylight.

"Well...all right," Willow said.

Richie took a step towards the back room, then turned back. "Oh, by the way..."

"Yes?"

"How do you feel about learning fencing?"

"Swords?" Willow asked, surprised.

"Yeah, swords. They're actually a pretty good thing for learning fighting discipline."

"They are?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, sure. It'd be something interesting, at least; a break from the monotony of hand to hand. Besides, you never know when it'll come in handy." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, appearing nonchalant, but with a strange intensity to his words. It was kind of like when Giles was on the trail of some new monster or another--the "pay attention, this is useful" kind of lecture he'd occasionally give.

"Well, okay," Willow said hesitantly. "I guess it might be fun."

"Good," said Richie. "I'll go get you some workout clothes. They'll probably be a bit oversized, but they'll do for now."

\--end--

**Author's Note:**

> "And if I die today I'll be the Happy Phantom,   
> And I'll go chasin' the nuns out in the yard,   
> And I'll run naked through the streets   
> Without my mask on. 
> 
> And I will never need umbrellas in the rain.   
> I'll wake up in strawberry fields every day;   
> And the atrocities of school I can forgive."   
> \--Tori Amos, "Happy Phantom"


End file.
